Metallica appear at Download Festival 2012, play Black Album in full

Hot on the heals of their collaboration with Lou Reed, Metallica have announced details of the first stage of their European Summer festival circuit. The band will be appearing at the hallowed grounds of Donnington Park for the massive Download Festival. The three day festival runs from 8th - 10th June 2012 and Metallica will be headlining the Saturday night.

If that's not enough, the show will be a double anniversary party. To help celebrate the festival's 10th running, the band will be playing their "Black Album" in full. Given it's release in August 1991, the band consider the Download Festival to be "technically at the tail-end of the 20th anniversary of the release".

Weekend with camping tickets go on sale at 9:00 am Friday November 18 from www.downloadfestival.co.uk. Download RIP ticket packages are available now and do sell-out quickly - tickets from here.

Metallica fan club members should log in for more information about a special pre-sale.